Shoe extensions



NOV- 3, 1959 c. E. sHANNoN SHOE EXTENSIONS Filed sept. 17, 195s FIG FIG INVENTOR E. Shannon FIG.5.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,910,703 SHOE EXTENSIONS Cecil E. Shannon, Gainesville, Fla. Application September 17, 1958, Serial No. 761,591 3 Claims. (Cl. 3 5) The invention relates to shoe extensions for the use of those whose legs are of diiferent lengths but otherwise normal so that they wear shoes on both feet, it being necessary to build up or extend one of the shoes to make up for the shortage.

An object of the invention is to provide a shoe extension which is readily maneuverable by natural ankle movements, is adapted to permit the wearer to walk Without pitching forward, sit down and rise naturally and comfortably, and has the appearance of a conventional shoe when the pants leg of the wearer covers the upper part of the shoe extension. Shoe extensions have been patented in various forms but do not appear to have gone into use because of the lack of the above named advantages. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter or will be obvious.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the shoe extension, in upwardly adiusted position.

Figure 2 is a side view of the shoe extension, in downwardly adjusted position.

Figure 3 is a detail central longitudinal section of the lower shoe mount.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the upper shoe mount.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view, showing a modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate upper and lower shoe mounts spaced apart by a distance equal to the difference in length of the legs of the wearer of the shoe extension and having means for connecting them together. The lower shoe mount 2 has the approximate exterior form of a human foot and ankle, is entirely hellow, rigid throughout and adapted to have a shoe 3 tted thereon. Said mount has an open top. The upper shoe mount 1 is composite, consisting of a metal sole plate 1, having the outline of the toeless sole of a shoe, and a toeless, heelless shoe 4, the sole 4' of which is rigidly connected to said sole plate by bolts 5. Said upper mount is shorter than the lower mount to the extent of the lacking toe portions thereof, so that the wearer of the shoe extension is enabled to walk without pitching forward and so that a trousers leg of normal width will fall naturally thereover upon the shoe of the lower mount, thereby giving the wearer the appearance of having both legs of the same length. The upper and lower shoe mounts 1 and 2 have means for rigidly connecting them together extending downwardly from the upper mount within the lower hollow mount, said upper and lower shoe mounts and said means for connecting them together forming a rigid entirety, freely maneuverable by natural ankle movements of the wearers foot litting within the shoe of the upper mount.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, said means for rigidly connecting the upper and lower shoe mounts together consists of forward and rear vertical standards 6 and 7 extending downwardly from the upper mount within the lower hollow mount, said standards at their lower endsv being connected by a transverse bar 8 resting upon and,

ICC

bolted at 8 to the sole of the lower mount, and at their upper ends having outturned flanges 8 bolted by said bolts 5 to the composite sole 1,4 of the upper mount. Said standards each consists of two sections rigidly connected together by bolts 6 7', which bolts may be detachable to enable the upper and lower shoe mounts to be detached from each other for repair or other purposes. The lower sections of said standards have outturned anges 9 welded to the angle portion of the lower mount.

In the modification of Figure 6, the means for rigidly connecting the upper and lower shoe :mounts together consists of telescoping sections 2 and 10, the upper section 10 extending downwardly from the upper mount within the lower section 2', which is the ankle portion of the lower mount, said sections being rigidly connected together by bolts 11, which bolts may be detachable so that the upper and lower shoe mounts may be detached from each other for repair and other purposes. The upper section 10 has outturned ilanges 12, said flanges being bolted at 13 to the composite sole 1", 4 of the upper mount.

The extension shoe is adapted to be made from any suitable material, preferably of light weight, and at comparatively low cost. The right is reserved to modications coming within the scope of the claims and to any other uses, such as making short men appear taller, in which case a shoe extension would be fitted to each foot of the wearer.

I claim:

1. An extension shoe, comprising a lower shoe mount having the approximate exterior form of a human foot and ankle and which is entirely hollow, entirely rigid and adapted to have an ordinary shoe fitted thereon, said mount having a horizontally directed sole and an open top ankle portion, an upper shoe mount consisting of a horizontally directed rigid sole plate having the outline of the toeless sole of a shoe overlying and vertically spaced from said ankle portion of the lower mount, a toeless heelless shoe adapted to receive a foot of the wearer having a horizontally directed sole parallel to the sole of the lower mount and having rigid bolt connection with said sole plate, and vertically disposed means for rigidly connecting said upper and lower shoe mounts together of which said bolt connection forms part extending downwardly from the upper mount within the lower hollow mount, said upper and lower shoe mounts and said means for rigidly Iconnecting them together forming a rigid entirety freely maneuverable by natural ankle movements of a foot of the wearer in said toeless heelless shoe.

2. An extension shoe as defined in claim l, in which said means for rigidly connecting said upper and lower shoe mounts together comprises upper and lower intertitting hollow telescoping sections, the lower section being the ankle portion of the lower mount.

3. An extension shoe as dened in claim 1, in which said means for rigidly connecting said upper and lower shoe mounts together comprises forward and rear vertical transversely spaced standards.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 693,400 Iochimsen Feb. 18, 1902 2,736,902 Bass Mar. 6, 1956 2,747,300 Field May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,127 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1896 638,108 Great Britain May 31, 1950 639,153 Great Britain June 21, 1950 ,679,691 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1952 

